SFP QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Edition 4, 2024

 

Victories for public health in the EU
Press Release: Council Recommendation on Smoke- and Aerosol-Free Environments: A promising starting point for the new EU mandate on public health
Press Release: Europe must act decisively to protect public health from tobacco and aerosol harms

New Research
The Economics for Health (former Tobacconomics). Uploaded a report and policy brief on the enhanced EU Tobacco Tax Directive.

Read the report.
Read the policy brief.

 

SFP Participation in External Events

INC-5
Between the 25 November – 1 December 2024, SFP, represented by Senior Policy Officer Raquel Venâncio, participated in the fifth and final Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea. NC-5 was convened to finalise a legally binding international treaty to combat plastic pollution. Negotiators from over 170 countries attended the session, aiming to address global plastic waste by 2040. However, the meeting concluded without an agreement, with the current draft treaty still requiring significant revisions. INC-5.2 will take place in 2025 and SFP remains committed to ensuring that the global plastics treaty complements health policies, prioritises public health, and unequivocally addresses the environmental harm caused by the tobacco industry.

Read a detailed summary of INC-5 here.

7TH ICO-WHO Symposia on Tobacco Control
On December 9th, SFP Director Lilia Olefir participated in the 7th ICO-WHO Symposium on Tobacco Control. During the event, Lilia delivered a presentation titled "Tobacco-Free Europe by 2040: Time for Decisive Action."

You can watch the presentation here [starting at 2:15:14].

SFP Coalition Meeting Materials

PowerPoint presentation
On 10th December, we held the final coalition meeting of 2024. To ensure the information is accessible to all, we would like to share the presentation, allowing you to review it at your convenience. Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out.

See the presentation here.

TACIT Procedure
During the Coalition meeting we spoke about the TACIT procedure. A short summary:

The Tacit Approval System is process used by SFP, to efficiently reach consensus. Here’s how it works:

If an organisation does not respond by the given deadline, it is assumed to agree with the proposed action (e.g., a letter to the EU Commission). However, organisations have the option to withdraw their endorsement by notifying the group before the deadline. If an organisation remains silent, it is interpreted as consent.

Some organisations are exceptions to this system and must explicitly confirm their endorsement. These are marked in our internal Excel sheet.

A specific deadline (e.g., 19 July 2024) is set, and members are encouraged to submit any objections or concerns before this date. If clarification is needed, organisations can reach out via email.

To summarise:

* For non-exception organisations: No response means endorsement.

* For exception organisations: Explicit confirmation is required

If you have any further questions about this system or need clarification on your organisation's status (e.g., whether tacit approval applies), you are encouraged to email Gijs or Lilia directly.

 

 

NEWS FROM PARTNERS

ASH Route towards a Ban on Disposable Vapes
On 25 September, the Scottish Parliament approved the Scottish Government’s draft Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024. This represents a significant milestone in tobacco control. ASH has outlined all the steps and key moments in an article to highlight how ASH Scotland achieved this milestone.

OxySuisse: Human Rights Violations by Tobacco Multinationals in Switzerland and Around the World
OxySuisse, under the mandate of the Swiss government’s Tobacco Control Fund, leads the Transparency and Truth (TnT) activity, which aimed to expose the influence tactics of the tobacco industry in Switzerland and beyond. This mission is especially significant given that two of the Big Four tobacco multinationals, JTI and PMI, are headquartered in Switzerland. As part of the TnT initiative, a human rights report has been produced to highlight the unethical practices of the tobacco industry and its far-reaching impact on public health, human rights, and the environment. Read the report here.

Nicotine pouches ban in France
On October 29 the French Health Minister announced a ban on nicotine pouches and similar products, such as nicotine pearls, citing their high nicotine content and risks to young people. This decision follows repeated calls from the CNCT since the products' introduction in 2022, which have raised concerns over their illicit nature.In May, the CNCT filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor regarding the illegal sale of these products. Alongside the nicotine pouch ban, the Minister also highlighted a forthcoming ban on disposable vaping devices (puffs), which is expected to take effect by the end of the year.

Read more information here.

OxySuisse: Sponsorship and Philanthropy; the tobacco industry's self-interested generosity in Switzerland
OxySuisse and AT Suisse have published a new report exposing how tobacco companies in Switzerland exploit donations to cultural and social organisations to enhance their image, sway policymakers, and normalise their presence, presenting it as charitable. These tactics pose a serious threat to public health.

Read the full report here.

ACT releases its report on the perception and use of new tobacco and nicotine products among teenagers
Despite efforts to ban puffs and nicotine pouches, new tobacco products continue to rise in popularity among teenagers. The latest ACT survey shows 81% of 13-to-16-year-olds are aware of Puffs, 30% of nicotine pouches, and 27% of nicotine beads. These products are seen as easily accessible, especially through tobacconists, where 39% of teens believe they are most likely to be purchased. In response to the tobacco industry's targeted marketing to children, ACT advocates for a complete ban on all nicotine products, excluding vaping devices and nicotine substitutes.

Read the press release and the report here.

CNCT carried out a series of laboratory analyses on the composition of nicotine pouches based on a selection of several brands currently on sale in France.
Results shows that, in addition to high levels of nicotine, the results showed the presence of heavy metals, in particular arsenic, as well as high levels of sweeteners such as sucralose.

Read the details here.

ASH Scotland welcomes Tobacco and Vapes Bill's strong measures to continue driving down tobacco use
ASH Scotland is welcoming the UK Government’s reintroduction of an extended UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill today (Tuesday 5 November 2024) which can help Scotland make further strides towards becoming a tobacco-free society.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “We welcome the strong measures proposed in this Tobacco and Vapes Bill to continue driving down use of tobacco, the biggest preventable killer in Scotland causing nearly 9,000 deaths and almost 90,000 hospitalisations a year.

Read the full statement here.

Tax hikes: Tobacco industry misinforms about parallel markets
A study by Ernst & Young, commissioned by Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco, estimates that in 2023, 38% of tobacco in France will be purchased outside of official outlets. However, these figures have been criticized as part of a lobbying campaign by the tobacco industry. The study’s methodology is unclear, and its results contradict official data from the French Public Health Agency, which shows no changes in smokers' purchasing behavior.

Read the full article here.